Locking door knob



l ay 1 C. B. HAVEN LOCKING DOOR KNOB Filed Dec. 13, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNEY.

May 31', 1928, 1,668,403

c. B. HAVEN LOCKING DOO R KNOB Filed Dec. 13, 1926 J2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wravmg 7 By M 1 m ATTORNEY.

Patented May' 1, 1928.

UNITED STATES.

1,668,403 PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE B. HAVEN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T MCKINNEY MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVAN IA.

LOCKING DOOR KNOB.

Application med December 13, 1926. Serial No. 154,436.

This invention relates to an improved locking door knob, and has for its ob ect an improved organization of parts by means of which a door knob and its latch mechs anism, externally but little, it any, Variant in appearance from present farnlllar forms, may be rendered relatively immune to picking or similar unauthorized meddling with the latch-actuated mechanism, and indeed in creating the impression in the mind of one examining it for the first time that the lock is broken or otherwise out oi order and therefore not worth while tampering with,

The installation or my im roved apparatus requires no additional dril ing or other cutting of the door in which the mechanism is installed than that required for a latch mechanism of the ordinary type, and indeed, subject to proper fitting as to sizes and meeting portions of the parts, an old latch mechanlsm might have its latch-actuated and, and stem portion left in place with only the substitution of the lmob portion of my improved mechanism.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved construction.

Figure 2 is a longitudinall sectional elevation through the lmob an stem portions,

Figure 3 is an end sectional elevation through the rounded portion of the knob taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows there shown Figure l is an enlarged sectional elevation similar to showing in- Figure 2, but with the correlating slide piece shown in projected position.

- Figure 5 is a cross section taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4, and looking in the direction of the arrows there shown.

Figure 6 is a perspective of the truncated conical members positioned on the outer end of the latch stem for the engagement between them and the corresponding cylindrical portion of the notch shell or roller bearing members.

Figure 7 is a perspective of the locking slide contained within the knob.

A indicates a door panel, from the freely swinging lateral-edge of which the latch B projects for engagement with a correspond ingly positioned keeper piece in the door did . frame.

of the mechanism in any of the now Well known ways, the outer end ofthis stem or spindle being screw-threaded at its corners for the regulatable positioning therealon of two correspondingly threaded truncate cone members F and (i that serve as ball race members and between whose adjacent sloping surfaces and the corresponding inner face of the sleeve portion H of the knob K, roller bearing members E are adapted to be rotatably held. As brought out particularly in Figures 2, a and 6, the outermost face of the truncated cone member G is partly cut away as at J, in order to form a recess or slot J into which the locking slide L may be projected. This slide is positioned slightly at one side of the axial center of the stem D and knob K, and it is limitedly slidable along a line parallel therewith, but yieldingly projected inwardly as regardsthe outer curved surface of the knob b the helical spring -M.' So long as the slide L is out of engagement with the recess or notch J in the conical member G, the knob, as an entirety and including its cylindrical neck H, is merely freely rotatable about the end of the stem D u on the ball. bearings, E, and short of reaking the whole knob piece open, nothing can be done toward effecting the latch-actuating, twisting movement of the stern D.

Entering the body of the knob from one edge, that is, transversely of the axial line of the stem D and the cylindrical sleeve H is a recess N which houses a tumbler mechanism P, which is has in place by at beaded over-engagement of the edge Q of the knob shell at that point, and from whose lower end projects a pin R, which engages in the cut-away portion T in the body of the slide L. It will be noted from Figures 2 and i particularly, that this pin R is located Since the normal position of the at one side of the axial center of the tumble1 structure as a whole, so that when this tumbler mechanism is actuated by the.insertion of a proper key, as S, the pin R will be actuated through a half circle as re ards actual direction, but as regards net reative movement to the other portions of the mechanism, slightly toward or away from the outer end of the stem D, thus actuating the slide L inwardly or outwardly accordingly.

pin be ore the key is inserted and actuated is such as to hold 'the slide L in retracted osition relatively to the stem D, and against the yielding pressure of the spring M, it is obvious that, upon its key-controlled actuation, the movement of the pin R will permit, and indeed aid, the projection of the slide L to a point where its inner end engages in the recess J in the conical member G, thus operatively correlating the knob of the latch-actuating stem D and permitting the? opening of the door accordingly. Since, however, the key cannot be removed without its return to a slide-retracting position, because of the engagement of the pin R within the recess T, the removal of the key leaves the external knob K in its initial condition of free rotation about the stem D, the latch mechanism of the lock as such being actuatable from the inner knob G by the person who has now (siecured authorized entrance through the cor.

The assemblage of these parts, especially thesleeve H about the conical members F and G, is made possible by the screw-. threaded mobility of the conical piece F along the stem D (from the right to left in the position shown in Figure 4), until the bearing balls E are no longer firmly held in position and can be rolled out through the aperture thus created, past the dust washer V which is preferably of fibrous material. The conical piece F is, however, normally held against such possible relative movement along the stem D by means of an inserted wedgedpiece W, WhlCh lies flat against the square side of the stem D, and with it holds the conical collar or crown against rotation; with the parts in ully assembled relation, this collar Y lies so closely against the adjacent face of the conical piece F as to apparently form a part of it; howiece Y ever, it serves to hold the dust washer V in lace.

The balls E are preferably of hardened steel and prevent binding of the sleeve portion H, upon the parts about which it is rotatable, to such degree as might permit turning of the spindle by the knob K when the slide L is in its retracted or outermost position. Suificient clearance is provided etween the sleeve H and the members F, G and Y that the sleeve cannot be com pressed into contact therewith by pliers, to

thereby permit turning of the spindle when the slide L is in retracted position. The balls E, being of hardened material, cannot readily be distorted, and they serve as antifriction spacers to prevent direct engagement/between the sleeve H and the parts F, G and Y. This is a particularly advantageous feature in those structures wherein the sleeve of the knob is made of brass, sheet metal, or other material that can be readily deformed.

The lock or tumbler mechanism P is not described in detail because it may be of various standard types, wherein the key ma be removed at a given extreme position 0 rotative movement, or at either of its extreme positions, so that the key need not be left in the knob whenever it is desired that the slide L be left in looking position.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a spindle and a knob having a portion disposed coaxially of the spindle, of antifriction members disposed between the knob and the spindle and arranged to hold adjacent surfaces of the knob and spindle out of contact with one another, means .for effecting locking engagement between the anti-friction members, the knob and the spindle, to hold the knob against movement axially of the spindle in either direction, and means for releasably locking the knob against rotative movement relative to the spindle.

2. The combination'with latch mechanism having an actuating spindle, of a knob having a sleeve-like portion into which the spindle extends, anti-friction bearing members interposed between the spindle and the inner wall of said sleeve portion, means for effecting engagement between said bearin members and the said sleeve portion and spindle, to permit rotative movement of the knob, but looking it against movement longitudinally of the spindle in both directions, and a locking device for rendering the spindle responsive to turning movement of the knob.

3. The combination with latch mechanism having an actuating spindle, of a knob having a sleeve-like portion into which the spindle extends, a ball race secured to the spindle at a point within said sleeve and having screw-threaded connection therewith, antifriction members interposed between said ball race and the inner wall of the sleeve, sufiicient clearance being provided between the adjacent surfaces of the ball race and the sleeve to prevent binding of such surfaces against one another upon slight distortionor deflection of the sleeve, and a locking device for rendering the spindle responsive to turning movements of the knob.

4. The combination with latch-mechanism having an actuating spindle, of a knob havmg a sleeve-like portion into which the spintion members interposed between said ball race and the inner wall of the sleeve, suflicient clearance being provided between the adjacent surfaces of the ball race and the sleeve to prevent binding of such surfaces against one another upon slight distortion or deflect-ion of the sleeve, and a locking device. for rendering the spindle responsive to turnin movements of the knob,'the inner wall of t e sleeve and the peripheral portion of the ball race having depressions formed therein for engagement vwith the anti-friction members, whereby the knob is held against movement longitudinally of the s indle.

5. ihe combination with latch mechanism having an actuating spindle, "of a knob havin a sleeve-like portion into which the spind e extends, a ball racemember secured to said spindle, a second ball race member secured to the spindle and adjustable longitudinally thereof, the adjacent corners .of

' said members being cut away to form a race-way, andthe ball race members being disposed within the sleeve, anti-friction members interposed between the sleeve and the ball race members, and a locking device for rendering the spindle responsive to turning movement of the knob.

6. The combination with latch mechanism having an actuating spindle, of a knob having a sleeve-like portion into which the spindle extends, a ball race member secured to said spindle, a second ball race member secured to the spindle and adjustable longitudinally thereof, the adjacent corners of said members being cut away to form a race way, and the ball race members being disposed ithin the sleeve, antifriction members interposed between the sleeve, and the ball race members, and a locking device for rendering the spindle responsive to turning movement of the knob, the sleeve being provided with an annular depression in its inner wall that serves as a race way for the anti-friction members and prevents movement of the knob longitudinally of the spindle. v

7. The combination with latch mechanism having an actuating spindle, of a knob having a sleeve-like portion into which the spin; dle extends, and a ball race device on said spindle, at a point Within the sleeve, means for adjusting said ball race device longitudinally of the spindle, anti-friction members interposed between the ball race device and the sleeve, means for holding the knob against movement longitudinally of the spindle, and a locking device for rendering the spindle responsive to turning movements of the knob.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification CLARENCE B. HAVEN. 

